


In Our Heartbeats

by archicitizen



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Flirting, Fluff, Kissing, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Dan and Phil World Tour 2018: Interactive Introverts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:27:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23374636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/archicitizen/pseuds/archicitizen
Summary: Hendery lets himself get pulled by his overly extroverted cousin, Lucas, to a party at the University town. He finds himself instead with a pair of drumsticks on each hand and a beautiful singer singing to the prettiest rendition of "Don't Start Now"
Relationships: Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 5
Kudos: 82





	In Our Heartbeats

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, hello, hi!

“Dude, not again.” Lucas shook his head in exasperation as he caught Hendery with a slice of pepperoni pizza midway to his mouth.

“What?” Hendery questioned, face stuffed and looking at him with wide eyes. Lucas rolled his eyes at him. Without even words, Lucas pointed out with his overly exaggerated movements what he was referring to.Hendery raised an eyebrow at him, like he didn’t know what Lucas was pointing out. 

It was pretty obvious, really. Especially since Lucas has been nagging Hendery about it every Friday night since they started rooming together. It was how Hendery spent his Friday nights -- swallowed in an overused blanket, pizza and other junk food surrounding him like a fortress and a Netflix-ready laptop to stream the latest, most popular series/movies whose plot would really get to Hendery, for like, at least three days. Hendery believed it was a perfectly normal way to spend the evening and Lucas should just mind his own business. But Lucas was very keen on letting him know this wasn’t how a 21-year old college student should be spending his Friday nights. 

“Ever heard of TGIF, Hends? You’re supposed to spend your night wasted in some college frat house every Friday night! That’s how you socialize!"

“I’m not like you, Lucas. My kind of TGIF comes in the form of movie marathons and short teen romcom series.” Hendery tried his reasoning as well. “And speaking of which, Netflix just added the complete Twilight Saga in their list of amazing movies I have to binge watch and I really need to get to it.”

Lucas scoffed. “Uh-No. You are not.” The tall man trudged towards Hendery. 

“Nonono!!!” but Hendery was too late, Lucas already got his hands on him. His cousin dragged him out of bed with complete and utter ease like Hendery weighed nothing. Hendery fell on the floor with a loud “-oomf” followed by an annoyed “hey!!” before Lucas started throwing him his nice clothes Hendery only used on special occasions. "Lucas, what-" 

"I'm taking you with me." Lucas dug further in Hendery's closet. He fished out a pair of skinny jeans Hendery never uses because it was just a tad too snug around his balls, he felt like his dick was wrapped in a tight tuck. "Wear these." 

"Why?" 

"Because these are the only pair you have that doesn't have hot sauce stains on them!" Lucas threw the pants over Hendery's head. "Now, dress up! And put some cologne, dude. You smell like a sad person." Lucas had the audacity to comment before he opened the door and stepped out of the room. 

Hendery looked down at the clothes in front of him, then to his cozy set-up he laid out so thoughtfully for himself. It was a week of harsh deadlines, maddening lecture schedules and series of reports that had Hendery drained. He hoped to have this moment of relaxation tonight, he really needed it. 

"HENDERY, I SHOULD BE HEARING ZIPPERS ZIPPING AND YOU STRUGGLING TO GET INTO THOSE PANTS!"

But he was blessed with a dickhead of a cousin who has no respect for his idea of fun and just had to drag him to whatever party he's not gonna enjoy. 

"Ahhhh~ fuck you, Lucas." He couldn't help but groan as he stood up and began undressing himself.

❤️❤️❤️

After a few minutes of walking to their location, Hendery was expecting loud obnoxious pop music booming from some frat house to indicate if they were getting close to the party. But instead, Lucas brought him to the University Town. They stopped at a popular bar storefront, so popular that even a certified introvert like Hendery couldn't possibly not know what the place was. 

"Dude, this is _Moonwalk_. Why did you bring me to Moonwalk?" Hendery faced Lucas with a raised eyebrow. 

Lucas was wearing a leather jacket over his graphic white tee. It was still a bit chilly outside, so Hendery wondered how his cousin could fight against the cold. Lucas had his hands in his pockets as he smiled down at his cousin. "Dude, I'm not killing my cousin on his first time at a party. So I chose something chill. Come on." Lucas headed to the bar, greeting the people who were loitering outside with cigarettes on their hands and girls around their arms. 

"This isn't my first party!" Hendery argued as he followed Lucas inside. 

Stepping inside the bar was like a totally different world from outside. It didn't really have that zing zangy neon light booming system night club, but rather a soft, friendly ambiance courtesy of an array of string lights illuminating the interior with a soft orangey hue, indoor plants that vary from teeny-tiny to huge ass, wooden parquet flooring that looked a little bit too used and scratched, and a front stage with the typical red backdrop where a local band played soft tunes the rest of the night. 

"Wow." Hendery was impressed. He tugged at Lucas' jacket to whisper in his ear. "I never thought Moonwalk looked like this." 

Lucas backed away, complete and utter shock all over his well-chiselled face. "You've gotta be shitting me, Hendery. Do you not see my Instagram posts?" 

"I don't follow you on Instagram." 

Lucas gasped, scandalled. Then he glared at his cousin. "You know you're dead to me."

"LUCAS!"

Both Huangs turned their heads to the call. A silver haired dude approached them all bright eyed and dimply faced, and Hendery couldn't help but think how he looked awfully familiar. Oh right! He was on the keyboards with the band a while ago. 

"Kun-Ge!" Lucas greeted the man, taking him into a very 'bro' hug. "Sorry I'm late, Ge. This guy took years to finish getting ready." Lucas apologized to Kun. 

_I wasn't even supposed to come with you in the first place._ Hendery side glared at his cousin. But Kun just laughed it off, airy and vibrant, just like Moonwalk. 

"Nah, nah. It's totally fine." Kun turned to Hendery now. And with the spotlight suddenly on Hendery, the introvert in him just wanted to hide in his shell and watch Twilight.

"You must be Lucas' cousin Hendery. From the way Lucas described you, I didn't think you would be this good looking. Probably runs in the family, ey Lucas?" Kun gave Lucas a friendly jab who laughed it off boisterously. 

"Oh his sisters are gorgeous, no doubt. Him?" Lucas pointed his thumb at Hendery. "Only slightly blessed." The two went into a fit of laughter as Hendery watched, and in his mind he thought, _Wow, I really want to punch him in the face so much._

Their moment of hoopla ceased when a younger male approached them with a face full of concern and stress. He rushed to Kun and Lucas, all worried and a little panicky. 

"Kun-Ge, we have a serious problem." 

Kun faced the young man, who Hendery recalled as Liu Yangyang from the Humanities Department. The only reason Hendery knew of him was because the entire school was on the range when they found out a German student was transferring. 

"Why? What happened?" Kun asked, concerned. 

"It's the drummer. He got food poisoning and he can't play tonight." Yangyang breathed heavily. "If we don't find a drummer in less than 15 minutes to fill in tonight, the owner might just not pay us." 

"Are you serious?" 

"Yes! And Xiaojun's singing tonight. It's a full house because of him." 

"Shit." Kun cursed under his breath. He turned from a total friendly carebear to stressed adult real quick. Yangyang was just as stressed out and Hendery couldn't help but feel sorry for them, honestly. The two of them looked so burdened, Hendery completely gets it. A university student can only get through life by allowance from their parents for so long, they need to hustle. If Hendery was in the same situation, and his boss delayed his salary, he was sure he'd look pretty close to how Kun and Yangyang are right now. 

"You don't happen to play drums do you, Lucas?" Kun turned to Lucas, looking hopeful. 

"Sorry, man. I don't know how to-" 

"I can play." 

A various set of surprised looks turned towards Hendery, raising his hand awkwardly as he volunteered. "I mean- if you need- uhm… someone…" 

"Is he good?" Yangyang eyed Lucas. 

"Oh, he's a _beast,_ but uhm-" Lucas turned to Hendery again, looking speechless, like he wasn't sure how to react. "-it's been a while since you played, Hendery. Are you sure you're okay with this?" 

The way Lucas asked him made a sudden surge of anxiety lump on Hendery's throat. He didn't really think it through. Hendery just felt so sorry for Kun and Yangyang. Unappreciated, uncompensated artists had a soft spot in his heart that he didn't even realize what he just put himself into. 

_To play the drums again._

_Swallow the lump, Hendery._ He tried steeling himself. "Yeah, it's fine. It looks like you really need one, so…" 

"You're right, we really need one." Kun groaned at Yangyang and the younger couldn't help but agree. "Follow us to the backstage, Hendery." 

Kun and Yangyang led him to the backstage, and just as Hendery was about to follow, someone pulled him by the wrist. 

"Are you sure you're okay with doing this?" Lucas whispered to him, looking completely concerned. "I don't want you doing anything you're uncomfortable with, Hendery." 

"Lucas, this whole entire thing is making me uncomfortable." Hendery shot back. He urged Lucas to let go of his wrist and when his cousin did, he patted him on the shoulder to comfort him. "Don't worry, you big lump. I'll probably just play one set, and then they'll do acoustics or something. I'm good, okay?"

Hendery left Lucas to follow Kun and Yangyang backstage. He'll be fine, Hendery thought. His cousin was like the Oprah of campus socializing, he'd get by while Hendery was on stage. It's been a while since he played, it really has. Lucas may think he has this deep, angsty reason why he stopped playing drums, but honestly, he just became too busy for it. 

Moonwalk's backstage wasn't as busy as he thought it would be. There were probably two, three guys tops helping with the equipment and sound checking. Kun and Yangyang stopped at their tracks in front of a tall, good-looking gentleman wearing a graphic black tee and a pair of worn-out ripped jeans. He didn't know what was it about the guy but the curly dark hair, the light eyeliner along his waterline, and the choker around his neck made him look so _alternative._

"This is Winwin." Kun introduced. "He plays the bass."

"Hey." the guy, Winwin, replied. He exuded a unique kind of aura that made Hendery think, _Yep, this guy would totally play the bass._

"Yangyang plays lead guitar, and I play the keyboard." Kun continued with his introduction. He faced him again, with more intent. "You'll be playing three songs for us. The rest of the evening would just be acoustic, that one we can cover on our own. But for Xiaojun's set, the manager really wanted a full band."

_This must be soooome singer._ Hendery thought as he nodded at Kun's words. Kun continued with his explanation. "Xiaojun's a favorite here in the bar so he racks up the money real good. And it's super great for our rep to play alongside Xiaojun."

Yangyang handed Hendery a piece of paper with a list of three song titles. "This is Xiaojun's setlist for today. If you could adlib and improvise your way through the songs, that would be great. We mostly do mid to slow tempo renditions of pop songs so just keep that in mind." 

"Yeah, sure, I can do that." Hendery turned his head left and right. "So uhm… Where's the vocalist?" 

"Present!" someone shouted from the hallway, rushed yet light footsteps trudge towards them and the three men who were with Hendery visibly straightened up at the sight. Hendery's back was facing the approaching man, so he had to turn slightly to see. And when Hendery did, it was like the air got knocked right out of his lungs. 

_So pretty_ , was the first sentence that came to mind as he watched the stranger. Dark fluffly brown hair, bright sparkling eyes framed by luscious top and bottom lashes, strikingly thick eyebrows, a cute pointed nose, a pair of shiny pink lips and a sharp jaw, all attached to an airy, bouncy little body that screamed _Protect me 'cuz I'm cute!_ that made him ten times more attractive.

"Sorry I'm late, the uber driver had to drop me off somewhere that allowed loading and unloading, and it was like a block away." the soft-looking man said. Even his voice was soothing. Like it was made to match his appearance and the total feel of his persona. He bows quickly at them and thanks them for waiting for him. One of the staff handed him a water bottle and a microphone, obviously urging them to start the set. They didn't even give the guy a breather. 

"Quick intro, our drummer had to bail so we got a replacement. Xiaojun, this is Hendery. Hendery, Xiaojun." Kun introduced him to the stranger, who turned out to be the sought after vocalist, Xiaojun. 

Xiaojun turned to Hendery upon the introduction, smiling cutely as he tilted his head to the side. "Nice to meet you! Let's turn it up tonight."

Hendery found himself blushing from just a smile (Pathetic, Lucas would say) as he replied to the vocalist. "Yeah, for sure." 

"Great, let's start!" 

❤️❤️❤️

It felt so unfamiliar holding drum sticks again. Lucas was right, it's been ages since he played that even the sheer weight of drum sticks felt so foreign to him. Hendery suddenly had another surge of anxiety crash to him. What if he didn't know how to play anymore? He even said he could adlib and improvise! Pretty cocky of him. He so boldly volunteered to help but what if he just messes up the whole night and ruin this for Kun and his band? Hendery didn't want that in his conscience and it was already too late to back down. (Since he was already on stage with people anticipating their performance.) 

_"Hey."_ Hendery looked up at the source of the voice. It was Xiaojun, smiling down at him from where he was sitting by the drums. He offered a comforting hand on his shoulder as his smile turned softer. "You can do it." 

Hendery was left speechless. His focus suddenly zoomed in on Xiaojun and his stupidly attractive little smile that he almost missed Kun's count. 

"1,2,1, 2,3"

:If you don't wanna see me:

_Wow, his voice… Oh wait- Hendery, play!_

:Did a full 180, crazy

Thinking 'bout the way I was:

Hendery really appreciated this rather jazzy, mid-tempo rendition they're going with with Dua Lipa' s Don't Start Now. Especially with how melodic Xiaojun's naturally raspy voice complimented it. 

:Did the heartbreak change me? Maybe

But look at where I ended up:

_Damn_ , Xiaojun is like, _really good._ Kun and the rest of his band ain't half bad either. He hoped he was keeping up. 

:I'm all good already

So moved on, it's scary

I'm not where you left me at all, so:

:If you don't wanna see me dancing with somebody

If you wanna believe that anything could stop me:

Xiaojun turned to him slightly. For a split second, he threw Hendery a sly little smile. 

:Don't show up, don't come out

Don't start caring about me now

Walk away, you know how

Don't start caring about me now:

❤️❤️❤️

"DUDE! YOU WERE INCREDIBLE!" Lucas clapped him on the back. His gigantic hand was absolutely heavy on Hendery's back, it actually made him let out a surprise cough. 

"Gee-" Hendery wheezed. "Thanks, Lucas."

"It's been so long since I've heard you play, I thought you were going to shit yourself all over the stage. You literally looked like you were about to puke before the set started." Lucas rambled in his suddenly panicky mood. "I was so ready to climb up there and sack-of-potatoes carry you out." 

"It feels very reassuring that you felt that way." Hendery said sarcastically. "Thanks a lot, Lucas." 

"But you were able to pull it off!!! And I am so fucking proud of you, dude!" Lucas tackled Hendery into a huge bear hug that had him lifted off his feet and his lungs crushed into one. The little hugfest was interrupted (thankfully, Hendery thought) when Kun and the rest of his band approached them with cheers. 

"Hendery, oh my god! You're a saviour!" Kun hugged him right after Lucas had set him down, not really giving Hendery enough time to supply his lungs with oxygen. Were bar regulars normally this touchy? Kun pulled back and gave Hendery his space. "You were amazing." 

Surprised by the sudden compliment, Hendery felt shy. He scratched his head to hide his embarrassment. "Nah, I just tried doing my thing…" 

"Dude, your drum groove was-" Yangyang did a chef's kiss pose Hendery thought was very Gen Z of him. 

"Anyway, here's your share." Kun handed him an envelope. 

It took a few minutes for Hendery to figure out what it was until he finally did. "No! No no no! I couldn't- I, no- seriously, there's no need-" But then Hendery stopped when Winwin approached him, clasping his hands on the envelope. 

This made everyone, and not just Hendery, absolutely speechless. 

"Take it," the bass guitarist spoke in his low cool voice. "You've earned it." he smiled softly. That surprised Hendery and probably the others as well because he most definitely heard a gasp from both Yangyang and Kun. What shocked Hendery even more was Winwin getting closer to him, hands still holding his, as he leaned over his shoulder. 

"He also wanted me to give you this." Winwin whispered in his ear. Before Hendery could react, he felt something slip on the front pocket of Hendery's bomber jacket. Winwin stepped back and walked away, Kun and Yangyang rushing to follow their bandmate behind. 

The Huang cousins stared blankly, both completely not sure what just happened. 

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Lucas asked after a moment of stunned silence. 

Hendery didn't know either. "I don't know." He fished out for whatever Winwin had slipped inside his pocket. In Hendery's surprise, it was a folded yellow sticky note. 

"What is that?" Lucas peeked over his shoulder as Hendery slowly opened the note. There was something written on it, so Hendery read the note. 

+82 011 1255 0808

XJ ❤

"oooOOOooh shit" Lucas howled. And again, he clapped his heavy hand on Hendery's back. "Look at you~ Getting the prettiest guy in the bar! Woot woow!!" 

"Shut the hell up." 

Lucas nudged him on the side, his eyebrows teasingly raised at Hendery. "Aren't you supposed to be thanking me, man? Bet this was way better than spending your night alone in your sad _sad_ sad room, right?" 

"Yeah, I'd rather watch Twilight really." Lucas punched him in the shoulder playfully. 

They continue the night in Moonwalk with more drinks, more laughs, a lot of music but sadly (Hendery thought), no Xiaojun. 

❤️❤️❤️

**Author's Note:**

> Interact with me on twitter @archicitizen  
> Don't forget to leave a Kudos and let me know what you think on the comments below~


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